Jeff Malet Photography

LOC National Book Festival (2015)

Book lovers of all ages rubbed shoulders with 175 prominent authors, poets and illustrators at the 15th Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday Sept. 5, 2015 in Washington D.C. David McCullough, Jane Smiley, Al Roker, Tom Brokaw, E.O. Wilson, Kate DiCamillo and Buzz Aldrin were among the featured speakers. The year also marked the 200th anniversary of the Library’s acquisition of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library and the festival used a quote from Jefferson himself “I cannot live without books", as its theme. For the second year in a row, the Festival took place indoors at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, away from its former home on the National Mall and its newly installed watering system.

Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson is the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan educational and policy studies organization based in the District of Columbia. He has been the chairman and CEO of CNN and editor of Time magazine. His biography of the visionary former head of Apple Inc., “Steve Jobs,” is a record-breaking international best-seller. His other best-selling books include “Einstein: His Life and Universe,” “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” and “Kissinger: A Biography.” His newest work, “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” (Simon & Schuster), is a biographical inquiry into some of the greatest innovators of the digital age. In 2012, Isaacson was listed as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2014 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected him to deliver the Jefferson Lecture, honoring him for his achievements in the humanities. Isaacson is also chair emeritus of Teach for America, which recruits recent college graduates to teach in underserved communities.